“Harvesting Heat to Power the World: A New Alternative Energy” with Jenna Walrath

You’ve likely heard of solar, wind and even hydro energy as alternative sources of energy,but what about heat? Thermoelectric materials directly convert heat to electricity without any moving parts. By studying these materials at the atomic scale, scientists can find ways to design highly-efficient thermoelectric generators to recover waste heat from systems such as cars and power plants.

“Mind Control and Making Babies” with Kristen Ruka

Millions of cases of infertility are unexplained, but the brain holds hope for some answers. While the majority of research into fertility problems focuses on the reproductive organs, Kristen is taking on a new line of investigation. She studies a highly specialized set of cells in the brain that control the release of hormones important in reproduction.

“Explosions in People for the Greater Good” with Brandon Patterson

Bubbles are pretty sweet, they can delight children, add fizz to your drink, and clean your dishes, but it may surprise you to find out that bubbles have a destructive side too, and have been responsible of tearing apart everything from the Hoover Dam to human tissue. In this talk, Brandon will dive deep into the wild world of bubbles and take a look at how doctors and scientists are working to harness their destructive powers for good, by using ultrasound waves to create carefully controlled bubble collapses and explosions in the body in order to fight cancer, kidney stones, and more!